Prices and Wages by Decade: 1830-1839
Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.
Wages in the United States, 1830-1839
- Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1818-1948Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions, p. 163. Read the explanation and historical context for this table.
- Farm labor in Vermont - Daily wages, 1830s-1860sShows wage data for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station report, table 26.
- Building-trades wages - 1800 to 1836Bricklayers, carpenters, masons, etc. Source: Monthly Labor Review, p.12.
- Whale boat wages, 1836-1841A hand on a whale boat might earn 15.4¢ per day, and be in debt by the end of the journey for food consumed. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor.
- Women's wages in the 1830sFederal report tells wages and working conditions for women in the early 1800s. Wages in the 1830s are discussed in general on pages 23, 26, 27. Wages for domestic servants, for textile workers and women who made clothing are in other chapters. Piecework rates for union workers in New York are listed in the appendix on pages 260-261. The appendix also shows the average weekly earnings for girls working in book binderies in Philadelphia in 1835. Wages for additional jobs are discussed elsewhere in the volume. Source: Report on Condition of Woman and Child Wage Earners in the United States (1910), vol. 9.
GOVERNMENT and MILITARY SALARIES
- U.S. Army pay, 1833Privates and musicians earned $6 per month. Farriers, blacksmiths and artificers earned $10 per month. Corporals earned $8; sergeants earned $12 per month. See more in Nile's Weekly Register Apr 27, 1833, pp. 137-138.
- U.S. Navy pay charts (U.S.) - 1814-1893This is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. If you need original government documents showing pay, contact us.
- U.S. Navy officer pay, 1833-1834Pay for captains, masters commandant, lieutenants, surgeons and assistant surgeons, pursers, chaplains and Navy agents. Source: American State Papers Vol. 4, pp. 886-893.
- Congressional salaries, 1789-presentLists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
- Government employees, federal - Salaries, 1830sThe Official register of the United States shows salaries of federal employees, from the U.S. President all the way down to postmasters in small towns.
- Government employees, state - Salaries, 1830Find the salaries for state executive branch officials under the section "Officers and their salaries" listed beneath each state in the table of contents for this source, the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for 1830. Enter the page number in the "Jump to page" box. See example for Massachusetts. Use other editions to get salary data for additional years through 1860.
Wages by state, 1830-1839
- Teacher wages in Massachusetts, by town - 1838Average monthly wages for male and female school teachers, by county and then town. Use the Table of Contents to find the page number for any other Massachusetts town, then enter it in the "Jump to" box.
- Wages by occupation - Massachusetts ,1830sFrom the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.
- New Hampshire prices and wages, 1830sThe 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is a rich source of data; pages 41-45 focus on 1830-1840.
- Circuit judge salary - Michigan, 1833In 1833, Michigan's circuit judges received a salary of $1,000 annually. Source: WPA, Inventory of the county archives of Michigan.
Wages by country, 1830s
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European wages by occupation and country, 1830s1839 book printed in Edinburgh, Scotland tells wages for a variety of occupations in England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Austria, Prussia and Switzerland.
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United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
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Rural England and Wales - Wages by county, ca. 1834Reports from British county commissioners indicate wages by season and for men, women and children. (source). Rents by county are reported under Question 18 in a separate volume.
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France - Wages in Lyons' silk industry, ca. 1834Discusses wages, hours of labor, and earnings as well as laborer's expenditures on food, rent, etc. Source: Second report on the commercial relations between France and Great Britain, pp. 35-37.
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Australia and Tasmania - Wages, 1836Section titled "Prices and Wages in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land" also shows cost to buy necessary items and rent. Source: Journal of the Statistical Society of London
Worldwide wages by occupation (A-Z) then country, 1830-1839
Source: A Compilation of Wages in Commercial Countries from Official Sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).
Economic analysis and calculators, 1830s
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Nineteenth century wage trends30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Staff Paper #2.
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Online calculator: Present-day purchasing power of historic monetary amountsThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand historic monetary purchases and payments in present-day terms, for the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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Currency converter, 1270–2017This calculator can be used to determine the historical purchasing power of currency in the United Kingdom from 1270 to 2017. Purchasing power is represented in its equivalence in horses, wheat, the yearly wages of a skilled tradesperson, and others.
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"How much is that in real money? A historical price index..."Provides explanations and charts to help users calculate the current value of historic dollar amounts. Source: Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Association, Vol. 101 #2. Source
Food prices by state, 1830-1839
- Massachusetts - Prices for foodSource: Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Click "more..." for direct links to food items.
- Dairy products: Price of butter, eggs, cheese, and milk.
- Food preparations: Prices for sugar, salt, tea, bread, chocolate, coffee, crackers, raisins, lard, macaroni, molasses, and more.
- Flour and meal: Flour, graham flour, "Indian meal," rye meal, oatmeal, and more.
- Agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, grains)
- Meats and Nuts: Prices for bacon, beef, ham, lamb, mutton, pork, almonds, etc.
- Poultry and game: Price of goose, turkey, and poultry.
- Fish: Prices for halibut, herring, haddock, salmon, codfish, eels, etc.
- Liquors and beverages: Prices for beer, brandy, cider, wine, gin, rum, and more.
- Spices and condiments: Prices of wide variety of spices, vinegar, and more.
- Prices of Food and Provisions in New York, 1825-1882Shows lowest and highest prices of 25 foods in NYC over 56 years. Source: Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics report, pp. 248-250.
- Price of wheat and fowls in Albany, New York - 1793-1846Reports annual data for price of wheat and fowls as well as wages paid for one day's service for every year from 1793-1846, p.25. Source: Documents of the Senate no. 92, 1846 v.3
- Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1830sShows monthly prices and annual averages from 1825-1863 for flour, rice, fruits, fish, pork, beef, butter, cheese, salt, sugar, molasses, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea and more. Source: U.S. Treasury report, p. 294.
- Ohio prices, 1830-1862Shows price of coffee, sugar and tallow candles by the pound; corn and wheat by the bushel and more for 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860 and 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual report (1863), p. 621.
- Ohio food prices by city, 1835-1839Shows prices for food items such as eggs, meats, coffee, molasses and more, as well as soap, hay, coal, etc. Prices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 799-801. Prices in Columbus for 1835-1839 are on pages 815-816. Both are part of a longer table that shows annual price data from 1825-1892. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th Annual Report.
- Prices in Pennsylvania, 1830-1839A farm family's account book shows a variety of items that were purchased, along with prices. Source: "Farm prices in two centuries," Report of the Statistician, USDA, p. 345.
- Prices paid by trappers in the American west, 1830sMemoir "70 Years on the Frontier" by Alexander Major tells some typical prices paid by trappers.
- Prices paid for items purchased by Native Americans, 1838-1839This document shows how much the Caddo Indian tribe in the Louisiana/ east Texas area paid to purchase items such as frying pans, fur hats, children's shoes, men's boots, tobacco, sugar, coffee, corn, pork, whiskey, brandy, gin, dishes, calico cloth, scissors, needles, rifles, saddlebags, etc. Prices are recorded in a congressional document.
- Grain prices - Illinois, 1831-1860Shows the price of corn, oats, and wheat in McLean county, Illinois through the 19th century. Source: Illinois State Historical Library
Household item prices by region, 1830-1839
- Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1830sCongressional document shows wholesale prices each month from 1825-1863 for flour, beef and other foods, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea, tobacco, candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Some items are priced are by the barrel or the ton, but others are priced by the gallon or pound.
- New Hampshire prices, 1830sSource: 1872 New Hampshire BLS report to the Legislature, pp. 41-45.
- Massachusetts - Prices for household itemsSource: 16th annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor (pub 1885).
- Carpetings
- Cutlery: Prices for pocket knives.
- Writing paper priced by the sheet.
- Candles and soap
- Oils to light lamps
- Fuel: Oak wood, pine wood, coal, etc.
- Miscellaneous: Price for brooms, matches, tumblers and more.
- Tobacco and snuff
- Coal, soap, hay etc. prices in Ohio, 1830sPrices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 799-801. Prices in Columbus for 1835-1839 are on pages 815-816. Both are part of a longer table that shows annual price data from 1825-1892. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th Annual Report.
- Ohio prices, 1830-1862Shows price of coffee, sugar and tallow candles by the pound; corn and wheat by the bushel and more for 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860 and 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual report (1863), p. 621.
- Prices paid for items purchased by Native Americans, 1838-1839This document shows how much the Caddo Indian tribe in the Louisiana/ east Texas area paid to purchase items such as frying pans, fur hats, children's shoes, men's boots, tobacco, sugar, coffee, corn, pork, whiskey, brandy, gin, dishes, calico cloth, scissors, needles, rifles, saddlebags, etc. Prices are recorded in a congressional document.
- Itemized prices in 1830-1832500-page congressional report is filled with itemized prices of blankets, guns, knives, shirts, coats, pans, horse-bells, saddle bag locks and many more items associated with the mass Indian emigration known as the Trail of Tears. Use "Search in this text" box to find more.
More prices in the United States, 1830-1839
COMMUNICATION costs, 1830s
- Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863Chart from the Historian of the United States Postal Service shows price to mail a domestic letter. Not included are postage rates for ship and steamboat letters and "drop letters" (for local delivery), which were assigned different rates.
- Price of a newspaper or newspaper subscriptionWe recommend using the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" website to find prices and subscription rates for individual newspaper titles in specific years. Click into the site and set the year boxes to your date range. Click "GO" and then check the "Show only front pages" box. If the price is not in the masthead, search for publisher's information somewhere in the body of the paper - often in the left column of the front page. Annual subscription rates are likely to be described there.
COST of HOMES and LAND, 1830s
- Land price in Michigan, 1830"The price of unsold wild lands is fixed and uniform, being $1.25 per acre; the terms ready money...." Land was purchased direct from the U.S. government. Source: The Emigrants' guide, or, Pocket gazetteer of the surveyed part of Michigan, p. 6.
- Chicago lot and business real estate prices, 1830sLists 1830 selling prices at auction for Chicago lots bounded by State, Madison, Kinzie and DesPlaines streets. Also lists a few 1830s selling prices of lots in what is now the Loop of downtown Chicago. Source: Real estate values and historical notes of Chicago, pub. 1900.
- House rent in selected eastern cities, 1832-1834Navy surgeons, pursers and chaplains reported their annual house rent to the government for reimbursement, as well as annual expenditures for wood and candles. The source (American State Papers vol. 4) lists houses in Washington, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, etc. but does not indicate size of house. pp. 921-931.
- Land price in Indiana, 1832-1833Land near New Harmony, Indiana was priced at $15 per acre but two miles from the village, government land sold for $1 per acre. At the time, a square mile of government land was priced at $100. Source: Travels in the interior of North America, pp. 83-84.
- Land price in Texas, 1830s
- In 1831, land in Austin's Colony was available for 4 cents per acre. The title to the land would generally be $2 or $3. Settlers would be required to cultivate the land within six years, otherwise they'd have to forfeit it to the state. (Source)
- In 1834, Galveston Bay area land could be purchased at auction with a starting bid of $10 for 177 acres, approx. 6 cents per acre. (Source)
- Unimproved land prices in Maine, 1824-1855Table shows average price per acre for public land (largely timbered) conveyed by the state government. Source: 1855 Annual report of the Land Agency of the state of Maine, pp. 22-23.
COST of TRANSPORTATION, 1830s
- Ocean passage from Scotland to New York, mid-1830sEmigrant's guide tells that ocean passage in a cabin with provisions would cost £12, or it could cost less than £5 for steerage with no provisions. Children traveled at half or one third price. This source includes an exchange rate table for pounds and dollars. (source), p.136.
- Railroad and stagecoach passenger fare on the Boston-Lowell lines, 1835Shows cost for passenger and cargo fare. Source: "Boston and Lowell railroad" in Massachusetts, legislative testimony published in 1867, p. 6.
- New York - Hackney Coach Rates, 1830s
- Travel from New York to Toronto - 1834This travelogue tells the author's travel expenses from New York to Toronto (includes steamboat, railroad, and mail coach fares as well as meals and lodging along the way). Also tells steam boat fare from New York to Albany and stage fare to Niagara Falls (from Fort Niagara).
- Rail travel in New York State, 1839This travelers guide includes fares for a number of New York excursions, such as from Albany to Schenectady on the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad and from Troy to Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs on the Schenectady & Saratoga Railroad. Source: The Hudson River guide and tour to the springs (1839). Not a government document.
Image source: Scriber's Magazine, July 1888, p. 175
- Railroad fares with various railroad companies - 1830sIssues of the American railroad journal contain advertisements and other fare announcements, such as: Paterson and Hudson River Railroad fare in 1832, Paterson and New York Railroad line fare in 1835, and New Jersey Railroad fare in May, 1837. In addition, the book Story of Railroad Passenger Fares (published 1942) lists fares on popular routes in the 1830s.
- Railroad passenger fares established by charter, ca. 1830Gives examples of the historic charters of railroads in various states, and tells what they were allowed to charge for passenger fares. Source: Report of the Industrial commission on transportation (1901), pages 904-905.
PRICES for ANIMALS, 1830s
- Horse prices in 1830-1832Horse prices are scattered throughout this 500-page congressional report which itemizes expenses associated with the mass Indian emigration known as the Trail of Tears. Use the "Search in this text" box to find hundreds of price quotes for horses, cost of horse hire and feed costs, as well as the cost of saddles, bridles, etc., p.336.
- Race horse prices, 1832Horses bred for racing sold for much more than farm horses. Source: American turf register and sporting magazine, July 1832, pp. 568-570.
- Livestock prices - Illinois, 1831-1860Shows the price of horses, cows, sheep, and other livestock in McLean county, Illinois through the 19th century. Source: Illinois State Historical Library
CLOTHING prices, 1830s
- Prices paid for items purchased by Native Americans, 1838-1839This document shows how much the Caddo Indian tribe in the Louisiana/ east Texas area paid to purchase items such as frying pans, fur hats, children's shoes, men's boots, tobacco, sugar, coffee, corn, pork, whiskey, brandy, gin, dishes, calico cloth, scissors, needles, rifles, saddlebags, etc. Prices are recorded in a congressional document, p.125.
- Prices paid by trappers in the American west, 1830sThis memoir from Alexander Majors, "70 Years on the Frontier" tells some typical prices paid by trappers. Not a government document, p.124.
- Itemized clothing prices in 1830-1832Use the "Search in this text" box to find prices of shirts, hats, shoes, socks, clothing fabrics, blankets and more. These were expenses associated with the mass Indian emigration known as the Trail of Tears.
- Massachusetts - Prices for clothing and sewing suppliesSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 16th annual report (1885).
PRICES for TOOLS and BUILDING MATERIALS, 1830s
- Massachusetts - Prices for hardware and building materialsSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 16th annual report.
COST of HEALTH CARE, 1830s
- Workplace-based health care and paid sick leave in Massachusetts, 1830sThis source describes payroll deductions taken for a "sick fund" which provided paid sick leave for employees. It also tells that a hospital stay was $4 per week for men, or $3 per week for women. Unhealthy conditions in textile factories are documented on pages 100-108. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set no. 5693.
- Medical and dental service rates in Washington DC, 1833-1840Services listed include a consultation, venesection, tooth extraction, operations, amputations, midwifery, vaccinations, stitched and dressing, treatment for syphilis and gonorrhea, and various other fees. Source: Medical Association of Washington D.C. fee bill in The American Medical Almanac for 1840, p.95.
- Medical service rates in New York state, 1837-1838Shows the fees for a doctor's visit and consultations, obstetrical services, vaccinations, amputations, assisting with fractured bones, dislocated joints and other medical services. Volume 18 of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal reports on the Washington County (NY) Medical Society, including their fee bill for services.
- Medical fees in Pittsburg, PA - 1836This 1836 fee bill sets rates for medical services performed by the physicians of Pittsburg, it was published in the November 1897 issue of the Pennsylvania Medical Journal, p.287.
- Physicians fees in Connecticut, 1829-1838Physicians' rates in the New Haven area were in effect from 1829-1838. Shows rates for day and night doctor visits, consultations, mileage and more. Source: The Practice of medicine in New Haven following the revolution by C. Barker (1924), p. 25.
EDUCATION EXPENSES, 1830s
- Dartmouth College (New Hampshire), 1830Annual tuition was $27. Average room rent was $7.50. Board ranged from $1.12 to $1.75 per week. Also gives rates for wood, lighting, washing and incidentals, p. 23.
- Ohio universities and academies - Tuition, room and board - 1830sSee tuition for the University of Ohio in Athens, Western Reserve at Hudson, Cincinnati College, Kenyon College at Gambier, Oberlin and more. Source: Ohio gazetteer, pp. 534-545.
- Marietta College (Ohio) 1837-1838Detailed expenses with explanation in Marietta's college catalog.
See a full list of colleges as of 1837. Contact us if you need to know the tuition for any of these schools.
PRICES for SERVICES, 1830s
- Price of a haircut and shave, 1830sThe list below shows barbershop prices found in newspapers.
Haircut in 1836
One "bit" was worth 12½ cents.
Prices by country, 1830-1839
Prices in GREAT BRITAIN, 1830s
- Household income and expenditures - Manchester, 1836 and 1841Twelve Manchester families' income and expenditures are listed individually on pages 323-332. Shows how much each family spent per week on rent, various food items, coffee, tea, salt, soap, candles, etc. Source: Journal of the Statistical Society of London.
- House rent - Great Britain, 1821-1881Amounts shown in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 236.
- Bread prices - England, 1817-1846Shows average prices of bread in England for each year from 1660-1899 on pages 27-35. Source: Three Centuries of Prices of Wheat, Flour and Bread (not a government document). The introduction to this table explains that these prices are for the type of bread consumed by lower middle classes, not the "fancy bread." Price sources are provided on page 21-22.
- Travel from British Isles to Canada - early 1830sEmigrant's guide tells the price of ocean passage and the cost of trips by steamboat in Canada. Guide was prepared by published by His Majesty's Commissioners for Emigration in 1832. Begins on page 8.
- Retail prices in Great BritainShows retail prices of bread throughout the UK as well as other foodstuffs in London from the colonial period up to the 1880s. Source: Report on wholesale and retail prices in the United Kingdom.
- Alcohol prices - England, 1832This represents the prices of one retailer.
PRICES in IRELAND, 1830s
- Meat prices in Tipperary, Sligo and Tralee Ireland in 1834Prices of beef, pork, poultry, mutton are cited in A history of the past and present state of the labouring population by Tuckett (published 1846), p. 422.
- Railroad fare - Dublin, 1835Shows first, second, and third class fares on the Dublin and Kingstown Railway. Source: American Railroad Journal v. 4 (1835), p.397.
- Provision and live stock prices, mid-1830sPrices in New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land, as collected from newspapers. Source: New British province of South Australia (1838)
Prices in CANADA, 1830s
- Price for travel from British Isles to Canada - early 1830sEmigrant's guide tells the price of ocean passage and the cost of trips by steamboat in Canada. Guide was prepared by published by His Majesty's Commissioners for Emigration in 1832, (pages 8-9).
- Canada - Prices and wages by region, early 1830s1832 Emigrant's guide shows prices, wages, cost of rent, and more for upper Canada, lower Canada, and New Brunswick on pages 13-18.
Prices in FRANCE, 1830s
- French prices, mid-1830sThe English book Stranger's Guide to Paris (published 1837) tells the cost to travel from London to Paris, costs to travel within France, food at certain inns, admission for a hot mineral bath, swimming lessons, ticket prices at theaters, and more. All prices are given in English pounds, shilling and pence, but there is an exchange rate table between English and French money and an explanation of French coinage on the previous page. Although this book is primarily for tourists, it shows prices for services not typically needed by tourists such as the price for funerals and cemetery plots. To find more, use the full text search feature to search for words such as sous, price, admission and francs.
Prices in ITALY, 1830s
- Italy - Food prices in Milan, 1801-1908Lists prices of wheat, bread, wine, beef, pork, butter and rice. Source: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor, Vol. 20 #87, pp. 599-607.
- Tourist prices in Sicily, 1834Tourist prices for other regions of Italy are also included in this book Travels in Europe, for the use of travellers on the continent, and likewise in the island of Sicily, pub. 1839.
Prices in SWEDEN, 1830s
- Grain prices - Sweden, 1836-1900This table shows average prices for wheat, rye, barley, and oats in Sweden for 1836 to 1900. Yearly consumption per inhabitant for wheat and rye can be found in another table on page 156 of this book.
Prices in SWITZERLAND, 1830s
- Prices in Geneva, mid 1830sPrice of provisions and fuel in Report on the commerce and manufactures of Switzerland, published 1836.
Exchange rate, 1830
- Value of money in countries of Europe, expressed in dollars and centsGives the dollar value for farthings, pennies, groats, shillings, crowns, pounds and guineas in Great Britain ca. 1830, and similarly lists all the types of money in each of the other countries, including Russia and Turkey. As listed in the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge published in 1830. Scroll to bottom of page for the start of the table. Not a government document, begins on p.165.
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